2 Today we will…Practice four learner comprehension strategies for use with struggling learners and/or ELLs by discussing and adapting comprehension skill activities

3 What A Decade of Reform said…Strategies alone (first order) without changes in beliefs (second order) make no differenceFocus on targeted1 GLEs – eliminate non-essential activitiesHigh expectations for all students including those in poverty and ELL“Powerful teaching and learning” depends not on specific strategies, but on the intellectual demands placed on the studentFouts, Jeffrey T., A Decade of Reform: A Summary of Research Findings on Classroom, School and District Effectiveness in Washington State, Washington School Research Center, 2003.1See Ainsworth 2003

4 The Big Reading PictureInclude all Big 5 Components PLUSOral Language DevelopmentPhonemic AwarenessPhonicsVocabularyFluencyComprehensionmin.Choose, prioritize the comprehension strategiesLimit them, 1-3 at a time for several weeksUse throughout the day, not just at reading timeIndependent Reading minutesCultural connection - background

9 Scaffolding Verbal Scaffolding Procedural Scaffolding Modeling: I doPrompting, questioning, and elaborating facilitate students’ movement to higher levels of language proficiency, comprehension, and thinking:ParaphrasingUsing “Think – Alouds”Reinforcing Contextual DefinitionsThink-Pair-ShareProcedural ScaffoldingLead the students through steps to make them more independent:Modeling: I doPractice opportunities with others: We doIndependent practice: You doGraphic organizers

10 What is scaffolding? Find the definition you wrote earlier.Read it over and make some changes.What is your new definition of scaffolding?Share with your group.

11 Scaffolding: Gradual Release of ResponsibilityI DoModeling the strategy yourself, thinking aloud while writing or chartingWe DoDo the same activity again with students or go to the next step of the activity. Plan to have directions of comments match your actions.You DoPaired or independent work after a successful “we do” trial

13 Making Connections: Thinking AloudModels real inner dialoguePick books you like – be realUse academic languageStarters:“When I read these words, I thought of…”When I saw this picture, it reminded me of…”From this information, I can infer…”Miller 2002 p. 54

15 Making Connections: Small Group ExpectationsRead book to classStudents break up to pairs to record connections with pictures or wordsReview helpful connectionsVote 1-2 if necessaryMiller 2002 p. 61

16 Making Connections: Self-to-textConnect to personal experience that deepens understanding of the storyMostly oral languageCharts are useful to review connectionsList and vote for relevance

17 Making Connections: Text-To-TextCompare two booksVenn diagram – 3-tab foldableAlso: Text-to-World connectionsWhat are the connections to the world outside of self?Miller 2002 p. 63

18 Thinking Aloud with StickiesWrite down thoughts on sticky notes – stick them in the book, notebook or posterCategories:Confusion/clarityHuh? I don’t get it. How Why Who When What Where etc?Oh, now I get this part!Alternative: ? & LightbulbNew informationWow, I never knew ____ before!ConnectionThis reminds me of…I heard/read/remember something like this in _______.

20 Questions: Leaf & Root“Leaf” questions are “above ground”, literal comprehension knowledge levelAnswer is in the text“Root” questions are “buried”, higher order thinking questionsInformation leading to the answer is in the text, but not the exact answer

22 Digging Deeper: QuestionsTeach children to make meaningful connections with questions:Does what I have to say connect to the current topic? …to what someone else said?Can I support what I say with evidence or experience?Did someone else already say it?If I disagree, do I state what the other person said and say why my thinking is different in a nice way?

23 What to say instead of “I don’t know”Write the following on sentence strips, post on wallWhen you hear “I don’t know” refer student to a question choice or help him/her with a new oneCould I please have some more information?Could you please repeat the question?Could I ask my partner?Where can I find the answer?Can you say that a different way?Can I have some more time to think?

24 InferenceConnecting prior knowledge with textual clues to draw conclusions, form interpretations and make predictionsUsing the term “infer” frequently helps kids internalize its use and function

27 Inference for Prediction2-column Chart (I do, We do) or Notes (You do)Fiction: What will happen?Non-fiction: What will we learn?What is our thinking (based on pictures and text features)Read passageConfirm (C)/deny (X) predictionsMake new predictions; What is our thinking (based in information from text)Stranger

29 Inference for Drawing Conclusions, Making InterpretationsMetaphor and allusion: is there more meaning in these words than meets the eye?Using schema again to connect text to experience2-column notesText printed on left sideStudent highlights on left and writes interpretations on rightOn doc cam (I do, We do); on paper (You do)

31 Try it! Dave will model with The Year of Miss AgnesPick a book, read and develop your inner conversation to modelMark places to stop, think, write, ask students for their connectionsWrite questions (red), answers (green) and connections (purple)Write them all at first. Days later, have the class help you decide which ones really give more understanding of the story. Rate them 1, 2.Make inferences about the passageAnchor chart on Rascal. List 3 of my connections, questions. Questions-red, connections-purple “What connections or questions do you have?” Write them down. Accept all for the fist few weeks. LATER - Rate them by how well they help us understand the story.

32 VisualizationHelp students create mental images by having them work together to draw pictures based on text:Tell a personal story or use a book, picture at first, then text only, then poetryHave students “think in their head” about what they see before telling itThen have them describe what they see one by oneHighlight any new, interesting vocab they might use or help them with new wordsMiller Ch 6 p 78-85

33 VisualizationChoosing text: do students have enough schema to make images from this text?Do they have the vocab and what new words do they need?Make copies of several passages; s. can choosePartners go to a corner and draw their imagesMiller Ch 6 p 78-85

34 VisualizationDiscuss why they chose to draw what they did. Why is it important?The partners’ images can influence each others’ – sharing schemaHighlight any new, interesting vocab they might use or help them with new wordsWrite responses to the readings and picturesPractice for several weeks. Save vocab lists for use in writing stories or poetry of their own.Miller Ch 6 p 78-85

35 Drawing outside inside (front) Describe my image:(picture is on the back of this page)What it reminds me of (connection):Continue with Rascal